"None of us are ever free," Markus said. "Not as long as Warrick rules. You gave me the chance to be a part of something great. Nothing could make me turn back now."
She fought back tears. "You don't know how much that means to me."
For a moment, she wanted to kiss him, but she resisted the urge. Markus was much more than she'd thought at first. He'd gone from a man who'd saved her life on a whim to a man who would try to save her life no matter what. Could she allow herself to develop feelings for him? After all, she could see his feelings in the way he looked at her, in the awkwardness he exhibited around her.
The Plain of Storms stretched ahead of them, a field of green and gold as far as she could see. The knee-length grasses swayed in a gentle breeze. However, there was a twisting trail through the grass. The path of a tornado?
Rik grinned. "You know, this place doesn't look so bad."
"Let's hope it stays that way," Markus said.
They started across the plains, the coolness of the morning fading around them. Small rodents scurried away from them, hiding among the tall grass. This seemed a beautiful place. Beautiful but empty. Did people really live here?
After a few hours, the tall grasses came to an end. Shorter grass now stretched ahead of them, and the rough path continued to meander through the plains. Towering clouds were building on the western horizon, but that was a worry for later. Right now, she could be happy.
The Plain of Storms eventually proved less flat than she'd expected. In fact, there were short rocky hills, even a few trees. Shortly after midday, they came upon a stone farmhouse sitting just off their path. Fields of wheat surrounded the farmhouse.
"Should we go there?" Markus asked.
Nadia shook her head. "We don't need anything right now. Let's keep going."
Rik looked up at the sky, where dark clouds had begun to gather. "Actually, I think we should take shelter here. I have the feeling there's a storm coming."
"Maybe you're right," Nadia said. "Hopefully the people are friendly."
They walked down a path leading to the front door, then knocked. A middle-aged woman answered the door, looking at them with narrowed eyes. "Need something? We don't get many visitors here."
"We'd like some shelter from the coming storm," Nadia said.
The woman looked up at the sky. "Looks like it might be a bad one. I suppose you can come in. Don't expect too much from us, though. We barely get by around here."
Nadia smiled in what she hoped was a disarming manner. "Don't worry. We have plenty of food, certainly enough to make it across the plains."
The woman's husband approached from within the stone farmhouse. He had a thick, messy beard. "You're planning on going to the desert? What could drive someone to that insanity?"
"What drives someone to live here on the Plain of Storms?" Rik said.
Nadia gave Rik a harsh look. This wasn't the time to antagonize these people.
"It's a place where outlaws go," the man said. "Oh, we used to live in Riverside, but we got into some trouble with the Imperial Guards. They don't come here to the plains. Place has a bad reputation, I guess. It's really not that bad, though. Not here anyways."
"How often do you see tornadoes?" Markus asked as the people ushered them inside. The small farmhouse contained only a couple of chairs, a table, and a small kitchen. Hardly the type of place people could live comfortably.
"A few a month during the spring and summer," the man said.
The woman gestured toward their meager surroundings. "It's not much, but it's better than imperial justice."
"I can agree with that," Nadia said.
They took seats on the ground, as the man and woman seemed reluctant to let them sit on the rickety furniture. Outside, thunder rumbled, and the sky had darkened further.
The woman settled down on one of the chairs. "What brings you here?"
Nadia hesitated. "No offense, but we don't even know your names."
"Understandable," the man said. "Nor do we know yours."
The people on the Plain of Storms did seem a strange sort. Not exactly hospitable.
"A word of warning," the man said. "If you're going to the Oasis Outpost, don't expect much. They ain't too kind to outsiders."
"I'm sure we'll be fine," Nadia said, though she felt sick to her stomach. She didn't need to think about any complications right now. If she thought too far ahead, if she considered what she had to do, she would go insane.
The thunder grew louder, and a strong wind began to blow. Nadia looked out the window, at the scattered trees nearly buckling in the wind. Those trees had to be strong to survive in this environment. The same went for the house. Wind roared, and rain soon came down in blinding sheets. Nadia stepped away from the open window.
"This storm is horrible," Rik said, pacing.
The man laughed. "This storm's nothing. Not compared to what we get all spring."
"Then I don't want to be here during the spring," Rik said.
"That you don't," the man said with a twisted grin. Nadia could not bring herself to trust these people.
After about fifteen minutes, the storm died down, and Nadia led the others out the door. The sky remained dark, and there was a distant rumble that didn't sound like thunder.
"Would you look at that?" the man said. "You got lucky."
"Lucky?" Nadia said.
"Look down there to the south. A tornado."
In the distance, maybe a mile or two to the south, a thin tornado tore across the plains. It became apparent that it would remain south of them, but would they always be so lucky?
"Well, the storm should be over," the man said. "Good luck in whatever you're doing."
"Thank you," Nadia said, though she wasn't upset to leave the strange couple. She, Markus, and Rik shouldered their supplies and marched back to the path they'd been following.
"I wasn't expecting people like that," Markus said. "Really strange."
"I have the feeling we'll see a lot stranger," Nadia said.
That night, they found a clearing where they could settle down. No more storms had threatened. Nor had any wildlife, though they'd seen small animals like rabbits and squirrels. Unfortunately, those animals had proven too hard to catch, so they relied instead on dried meat.
They'd also purchased some compasses made of a stone that glowed in the dark. Nadia had insisted they might need those in the Forest of Darkness. Much to her dismay, she'd discovered that she had to do all the planning. Markus and Rik rarely thought ahead.
"Maybe we'll actually make it through this place," Markus said.
Rik gave him a look. "Come on. Don't say things like that. You never know who or what might be listening. Some of us are superstitious, you know."
"I don't think it matters," Markus said, silvery moonlight shining on his face.
"Even Warrick can't watch everything," Nadia said. "He's a human being like anyone else, just with far more power."
"I wonder why no one crosses the Plain of Storms," Rik said.
Nadia considered that. "Well, you heard Miles. Some people have. Maybe they settle down in the Oasis Outpost. I can't see any reason people would go farther. I've heard the desert is very hard to cross, and the forest damn near impossible."
"Guess that makes sense," Rik said.
"So do you know how these places were really created?" Markus asked.
Nadia wished she did, but few accounts remained of the Empire's creation. "I'm not sure. What Warrick said in Riverside may be true, at least in part. I don't believe him when he says these places were meant to protect us, but I do believe that he created them."
"How can anyone be so powerful?" Rik said.
"I don't know," Nadia said. "There's a lot I don't know about magic."
"Do you really think the rest of the world's as bad as Warrick claimed?" Markus asked.
"I have no idea, even with all the time I spent in the library." She looked down at her knees. "Kara always told me I spent too much tim
e there. I guess I didn't spend enough."
A heavy silence fell, and she thought then of Kara. Somewhere, Kara was alive. Did she need Nadia? Would Nadia ever find her? Then again, Nadia would probably die when she killed Warrick. She'd grown to accept that, or at least tolerate it. But were Markus and Rik ready to die too? Could she let them?
"You can still turn back," she said quietly.
"We're not turning back," Markus said. "I want to see Warrick dead. After Crayden, we all have a reason to kill him. And I care about you, Nadia. I won't let you go alone."
"You do realize we could very well die?"
"I know. I've accepted it."
But Nadia saw someone who enjoyed life, who was in no way ready to die. She cared about him too, like she'd cared about few others. Ander. Maybe Len. She'd sworn not to allow love into her life, but she had the nagging suspicion it was forcing its way in.
Maybe she should let it. Why not make the last weeks of her life better? Her thoughts turned again to Kara. "She should have been here with us."
Markus frowned. "Who? Kara?"
"Yes, I keep thinking how much I wish she were here."
"Well, you still have us," Markus said, putting an arm around her shoulder. His touch felt warm and comforting, and she leaned in toward him. She leaned up to kiss him, worried she was making a mistake, but she didn't care.
A bone-chilling howl sounded in the distance.
Markus shot to his feet, staring toward the sound and unsheathing his sword. Nadia got her bow ready as the howl rang out again. Closer. Louder. Her legs trembled.
Rik looked up at the full moon. "Do werewolves exist?"
"I doubt they're werewolves," Nadia said, "but that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous."
Markus maintained a firm grip on his sword. "Why would they be dangerous? There are wolves in the forest, and they usually stay away from people."
Nadia chewed on her lower lip. "But I doubt these are natural wolves. We have to be wary of anything that lives in these regions. I don't know how Warrick did it, but he must have created many monsters."
The howls sounded again, but farther away. Nadia remained alert, scanning the moonlit plain as the howls grew quieter, then disappeared entirely.
Markus sheathed his sword. "Guess we're safe now."
"For now," Nadia said. All thoughts of kissing Markus had fled.
They assigned watch shifts, but nothing else threatened them that night. In the morning, they resumed their westward trek. They'd lost the path they'd followed at first, so they had to use their compasses to keep their directions straight.
Even so, Nadia worried they wouldn't find the Oasis Outpost.
They passed a few more stone farmhouses, but without the imminent threat of storms, they decided not to disturb the people, who might be even stranger than those they'd already met.
That night, the chorus of howls rang out again. Would this happen every night? Would Nadia struggle to sleep the whole way across the plains?
Again, the wolves kept their distance. Nadia, Markus, and Rik faced their next storm the following afternoon. They hadn't spotted a single farmhouse all morning, nor any other structure to protect them from the elements. As the dark clouds gathered, Nadia's chest tightened.
"Well, we have rain cloaks," Rik said.
The clouds looked darker than any Nadia had ever seen. "I don't think they'll protect us."
"Nothing wrong with a little optimism," Rik said.
"I envy you that ability," Markus said.
So did Nadia. Her tendency to dwell on every negative had served her well, but she often wished she could take a more carefree attitude toward life.
The clouds grew closer and darker as they wrapped themselves in their rain cloaks. First, the winds came, gusting so strongly they had to crouch low to keep from getting blown over. The ground was remarkably flat here, and only a few trees dotted the plain.
"We need to stay low," Nadia shouted over the wind.
"I know," Markus said. "Lightning strikes the tallest object."
"Wouldn't that be a ridiculous way to fail in our quest?" Rik said.
Soon the rain came, drenching them in seconds. The wind continued to whip around, sometimes blowing the rain shafts in circular patterns. This storm seemed ready to produce another tornado.
Huddled low to the ground, Nadia shivered. She could barely see the others, though they lay only a few feet away.
Hail pelted them—the size of peas at first, but then it grew perhaps as large as a small apple. She covered her head with her hands and let her rain cloak absorb most of the blows. Still, it hurt, and she would have bruises afterward. Over the roar of the storm, she could hear Markus and Rik grunting.
When the storm finally died down, Nadia crawled out from beneath her cloak. Shivering, chest tight, she looked up at the sky.
The tornado sat against the flat horizon west of them, but this was no ordinary tornado. She'd expected to see a small funnel. But, no, it looked as if a giant wall had descended from the clouds, as wide perhaps as a small city.
"What the hell is that?" Markus asked.
Rik looked pale. "I wasn't aware a tornado could get that big."
"Let's just pray it doesn't hit us," Nadia said, trying to judge the tornado's direction.
It sat directly west of them, moving a little north of east. At its size, though, there might not be enough room. "We need to run south as fast as we can," she said.
Cold and wet, they took off sprinting. The roar of the tornado grew louder and louder, a terrible rumble like nothing she'd ever heard before. The ground was slick, and she struggled to keep her footing. Nothing but the rumble filled her ears.
The wind whipped at them, nearly knocking them off their feet. Unable to run anymore, they crouched low and covered their heads. The ground itself seemed to vibrate.
They'd found a small depression where they might avoid getting hit by debris. Still, the tornado could easily pick them up. Nadia closed her eyes, listening to the terrible roar, and prayed. Terrible pressure built in her ears.
Chapter 41
Tylen stepped off the teleportation platform in the Golden Palace. Sam, his commander, had accompanied him, and Tylen was glad for the company. He had never met Emperor Warrick, and his stomach churned at the thought.
"You'll be fine, Tylen," Sam said. "The Imperial Guard seal can be very painful, but it's rare that a person dies."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Tylen asked. He didn't like to think about the Imperial Guard seal, about how Warrick could use his magic to make Tylen do whatever he wanted. Things like destroying an entire city.
Could Tylen put himself in a situation where he might do something like that?
But what choice did he have? Tylen wanted security more than anything, and becoming an Imperial Guard did provide security.
They walked the halls of the Golden Palace, past patrolling Imperial Guards, busy servants, and nobles from Imperia. Tylen marveled at the palace. Golden floors, walls, and pillars. Deep red carpets embellished with gold stitching. Doors of rich reddish wood.
At last, they came to the largest of these doors, the entrance to the throne room. Sam stepped to the side. "You'll be on your own from here, Tylen."
Tylen swallowed a lump in his throat. "Wish me luck."
He strode through the door and into the bright throne room beyond, following a wide banner of red carpet past magical torches and golden pillars. After rounding a bend, he caught his first glimpse of Warrick, and his heart climbed into his throat. How would the emperor receive him? Would he read Tylen's mind, see Tylen's doubts? Would he strike Tylen dead right there in front of the throne?
At last, Warrick said, "Good afternoon, Tylen. Come closer."
Heart pounding, Tylen obeyed.
"Now kneel before me," Warrick said, and Tylen did so. He looked into the emperor's dark eyes, trying to imagine the thoughts running through the man's head. Surely he could see Tylen's reluctance to s
erve him. Tylen was trembling after all.
"There is no need to fear me so," Warrick said. "Yes, I require some healthy fear in those who serve me, but as long as you do nothing to displease me, I have no reason to harm you."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Tylen said quietly, his throat tight.
Warrick put a hand on Tylen's head, and Tylen closed his eyes, bracing for the pain of the Imperial Guard seal.
It began as a faint vibration, like waves rushing through him. Then the pain came, throbbing in a steady rhythm, burning like fire coursing through his veins. Sweat broke out on his skin, and he trembled violently, eyes closed against the torture. A sudden wave of cold washed over him, then an equally sudden wave of fire. He hovered on the verge of unconsciousness. Was Warrick trying to kill him?
Then the pain ceased. Tylen collapsed, trembling like never before. When he looked up, he saw a smile on Warrick's face. The emperor offered a hand, helping Tylen to his feet.
Tylen felt cold and vulnerable. "Is it over?"
"Yes, it is. You handled it quite well. Many people pass out. Some even die."
Tylen struggled to stand on quivering legs. "I'm glad I survived, Your Majesty."
Warrick smiled. "I'm glad, too. I see great things in your future, Tylen. For now, you are an Imperial Guard. In time, though, you will become much, much more. But you shouldn't worry about that right now. Your new occupation will demand a great deal of you."
"I will do my best, Your Majesty."
Warrick smiled again. "I know you will, Tylen."
Seeing that smile, Tylen realized he might have made the biggest mistake of his life.
* * * * *
Nadia felt as if the tornado would lift her from the ground. The wind roared and thundered, battering them fiercely as she continued praying.
Once the wind died down, she dared to move. The swirling vortex had moved beyond them, tearing up the countryside to their east. They'd been at the tornado's southern fringes, the only thing that had saved them. Heart pounding, she looked over to see Markus and Rik beneath their cloaks. Were they alive?
Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1) Page 33